Goods worth over N52 billion exported through Onne port in six months

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Area ll Command Onne Port, Rivers State said that goods worth N52.6 billion were exported through the command between January and June, 2021.

These exports, according to a release by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Ifeoma Onuigbo Ojekwu, include sesame seeds, ginger, cocoa beans, hibiscus, fluorite ore, lead ore, palm kernel shell, cotton, float glass, aluminium ingot etc, worth NESS value of N260,150,300.13. The total tonnage of the said export stood at 331.356.39 tonnes with FOB value of $137,943,276.32

Giving statistics of the command’s activities within the period, the PRO said the command generated N78,167,080,299.21 as total revenue.

According to the statement, this year’s revenue is N31.5 billion above the N 46,661,656,918.3 collected between January and June of 2020, which signifies 67.52% increase in the Command’s revenue.

The statements read in part, “The revenue generation, strict enforcement of fiscal policies, uncompromising implementation of government directives and diligent trade facilitation are among strategies put in place by Comptroller Auwal Mohammed, Customs Area Controller of the command.

“Aside the above stated improvement in comparative mid-year revenue generation between 2020 and 2021, the Command also made some other very laudable feats in export and anti-smuggling activities.

“In the month of June 2020, the Command generated the sum of N14,552,562,033.70 which is an unprecedented feat in our history as an area Command.

On its anti smuggling feat, the Command said it made nineteen (19) seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N8,299,061,138.00 within the period under review.

“Chief among them was over N3.7 billion worth of 1,387 cartons of tramadol in a single seizure with 1000 cartons of tiles used to conceal the Tramadol made in May, 2021.

“Other seizures made include: 2 units of Used Mitsubishi buses; 210 bales of second hand clothing; 4,029 pcs of used tyres; 16 units of Used engine gear box and auto spare parts ;310 pallets of laser ketchup; 2,721 bags of 50kg foreign rice; 37 cartons of wine; 124 cartons of tapentadol; 956 Jerrycans of 25litres of vegetable oil; 750 cartons of supergold candle; 2,970 cartons of foreign soap; 89 bales of fabrics and 500 cartons of medicaments.

“So far, four (4) suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and are at various stages of investigation and prosecution in courts of competent jurisdiction.

“The Area Controller emphasised that at various meetings with the Command management team and parade involving all officers that the Command will remain unrelenting and uncompromising in diligently examining every cargo that goes through the port.

“This is in line with the Comptroller General of Customs zero tolerance for infractions

“Comptroller Mohammed said during a recent meeting that: ” Area ll Command, Onne Port will remain a no go area for perpetrators of any trade malpractice. We will keep doing our best in ensuring that all import and export cargoes are duly examined.

“The long arms of the law will not spare any importer, exporter or trader who dares our resolve by perpetrating illegalities in Onne Port
“We have demonstrated this in the first half of the year and will continue to improve on our recorded milestones.

“I am calling on all importers and agents to imbibe the spirit of true and proper declaration.
“While thanking all my officers for their teamwork and integrity driven performance, I will also like to thank our compliant traders using Onne Port to keep up the good work” the CAC said.